Mario Lanza – The Donkey Serenade lyrics

On a fluke I decided to see if this song had any lyrics. I'm so glad I found them! The year was 1977. After seven years of marriage I was finally going to have my parent's first grandchild. They took me to the mall to find something for the baby. In those days ultrasound was new. My old doctor was afraid of them. So we had to wait to see if we had a boy or a girl.
I wandered into a store looking for a generic baby toy. There was this little wind up donkey. I didn't recognize the song, but fell in love with the melody. I bought it and sat down on a bench in the hall of the mall. I noticed my mother was angry with me. Probably because it was quaint and inexpensive. She never approved of my simple tastes.
Well, my parents kept walking, my mother in a huff. Dejected, I wound up the little donkey again and imagined my baby falling asleep to this tune. I even held it close to my tummy, hoping my baby could hear.
Suddenly, I noticed my dad sitting quietly next to me. He had been listening, but not said a word. When the song wound down he said, with a sweet smile, "Donkey Serenade."
How did Daddy know everything? He only had an eighth grade education, and grew up on a farm in a tiny Oklahoma town.
But somehow he always knew. And his facts were always correct.
He also knew that a young mother, full of hopes and dreams, needed someone to help her celebrate her babie's first lullaby.